->''"Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and instead of bleeding, he sings."''-->-- variously attributed

DeathIsDramatic. [[TheMusical So is musical theatre.]] Therefore it should come as no surprise that major deaths are often accompanied by a final musical exclamation by the dying character--and frequently another, for extra duet points. Often followed, fittingly enough, by a GriefSong. Sometimes the two even overlap. Frequently a TearJerker or a DarkReprise. In some works can attract KilledMidSentence[=/=]MusicalisInterruptus.

It should be noted that this can describe a song a character sings [[AlmostDeadGuy as they die]], or a song building up to (and ending with) the singing character's death.

----!!Examples:* "How Glory Goes" from ''Theatre/FloydCollins''.* "Count To Six and Die" from Music/MarilynManson's ConceptAlbum ''Music/HolyWoodInTheShadowOfTheValleyOfDeath''. However, "The Death Song", from the same album, is not a Death Song.* "Tell Her I Love Her" from ''Theatre/{{Urinetown}}'', a duet which is half this and half GriefSong.* "A Little Fall of Rain", "Come To Me", [[spoiler:"Javert's Suicide"]], and the epilogue from ''Theatre/LesMiserables''.* "Eva's Final Broadcast" and/or "Lament" (depending on production) from ''Music/{{Evita}}''.* "Sh'ma" from ''Theatre/{{Parade}}'' could be argued to be this, as Leo is about to die.* "I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much" from the film version of ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera''.* The reprise of the titular song in ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'' - but a surprise, as Don Quixote does not know he is dying.* "I'm Goin' Home" from ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'', though Frank doesn't die during it, but afterwards, and isn't even aware he's going to be killed until afterwards.* The reprise of "Somewhere" is [[spoiler:Tony]]'s Death Song in ''Theatre/WestSideStory.'' *sniffle** "Some Things Are Meant To Be" from the musical adaptation of ''Literature/LittleWomen'' acts as Beth's Death Song, even though she doesn't actually die at the end. She dies afterwards, off-screen.* "Mother Earth and Father Time", from the 1973 film of ''Literature/CharlottesWeb''.* ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' ends with the title character singing a reprise of [[spoiler:"A Barber And His Wife"]] which is both one of these and a GriefSong given that [[spoiler:he unknowingly killed his wife, who he had spent the entire plot seeking to avenge, because he did not know she was still alive]], just before [[spoiler:Toby uses Sweeney's own razor to slit his throat]].* "The Mole's Reprise", from ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut''. It's a DarkReprise of the earlier "[[TheSongBeforeTheStorm La Resistance]]".* Parodied in ''Film/TheBachelor'' when Jimmie notes that Music/MariahCarey's character is singing even while she's dying.* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' has two songs, although one of them is never actually heard anywhere in the entire series proper.** "Blue" plays for the ending credits of the final episode, right after we see Spike collapse on the stairs after finishing a fight to the death. Word is still out on whether he actually dies or not, but the lyrics fit this trope.-->Everything is clearer, now.\\Life is just a dream, you know?\\It's never ending.\\I'm ascending.** "No Reply", a song that never actually plays anywhere in the series, is part of the "Knocking on Heaven's Door OST Future Blues" soundtrack. The song details how the singer laments how he'll never be with the woman he loves, a woman who doesn't know he loves her, but has always supported him at every turn. A woman who will never know how he feels about her as [[DrivenToSuicide he has already jumped from the top of a building]].* "Farewell at the Foot of the Hill" from ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}''.* Judas's Death from ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar''.* [[spoiler:"It's Just The Gas" for Orin and "Somewhere That's Green (Reprise)" for Audrey]] from ''Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors''. [[spoiler:Two]] other characters die, but they either do not die immediately after a song or die immediately after a song sung by someone else.* Music/NeilYoung's ''Birds'' has been interpreted as this.* "Bye Bye Life" from ''Film/AllThatJazz''* In ''Theatre/ChildrenOfEden'', Abel sings a few lines of 'The Wasteland' as he dies.* The Crucifixion from ''Theatre/{{Godspell}}''.* "The Flesh Failures" from ''Theatre/{{Hair}}'' is [[spoiler:Claude]]'s death song. He even gets a DarkReprise of his IAmSong in.* "Last Midnight" for The Witch in ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods''. Of course, we're not quite sure if she's dead...* "No One Mourns the Wicked" from ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}''. Subverted, as we later find out [[HesJustHiding she's just hiding]].* In ''Kristina'', the musical adaptation of ''Literature/TheEmigrants'', it's the reprise of "Out to the Sea" for [[spoiler:Robert]] and "I'll Be Waiting There" for [[spoiler:Kristina]].* Infamously, and [[MemeticMutation memetically]], the violent death scene from the finale of ''Series/TheOC''.* "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life" from ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian''.* The band Music/EnterTheHaggis puts a positive spin on this trope in both "One Last Drink" and "Let Me Go".* "Contact" from ''Theatre/{{Rent}}''.* The MusicalEpisode of ''Series/XPlay'' has "Love Me (Reprise)" sung by Adam and Morgan's video game (it MakesSenseInContext) just before it expires.* "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" from ''Film/TheRose''. Followed up by "The Rose", which counts as a GriefSong.* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'': Episode "Klingon War", mission "The Doomsday Machine". K'Valk, a Klingon Defense Force officer who is trying to help Starfleet [[spoiler:Ambassador B'vat from siccing a planet killer on Federation]], rams his shuttle down its throat while belting out [[http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/The_Warrior%27s_Anthem "The Warrior's Anthem"]], a Klingon war hymn.* "Promised Land" from the ''Series/{{Psych}}'' [[TheMusical musical episode]]* The [[http://www.lexxdomain.com/audio/brigadoom14.mp3 Brunnen-Gi song]] from ''{{Series/Lexx}}'' is essentially the song equivalent of "Today is a good day to die". ''[[http://www.lexxdomain.com/audio/brigadoom13.mp3 A Good Way To Die]]'' from the episode Brigadoon laments their death, but also says it was s death worthy of being remembered. * Music/KlausNomi's "The Cold Song" from ''[[Music/KlausNomiAlbum Klaus Nomi]]'' and "Ding Dong" and "Death" from ''Music/SimpleMan'', which are all covers by the way.* "Stay Alive (Reprise)" from ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'', where [[spoiler:Hamilton's son Philip is dying from a gunshot wound]].* Two examples in ''Theatre/TheBridgesOfMadisonCounty'': "When I'm Gone" is sung by Bud and Charlie as and after they grow old and die, and "It All Fades Away" is Robert's final declaration before dying of an unspecified illness.* ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' managed to partially do this when [[spoiler: Melvin kills Hank Ishtar.]] Hank sings the events as they happen in the style of ''Music/HarryChapin'''s "Cat's in the Cradle".-->'''Hank''': And then he stabbed me in the torso and the cat's in the cat place and oh god, that's sharp!\\Please stop stabbing me, I'm going to die!\\When you gonna stop, son? Oh god, that hurts!\\I think you pierced my lungs there\\Yes, that was definitely my luuungs.* Music/DanielAmos's "Shadow Catcher" from ''Music/FearfulSymmetry'', about a man standing at death's door and staring into the shadows.* ''Any'' of the idol's songs, should they not pass judgement in ''Idol Death Game TV''. That's because last place has to perform a 'Death Concert', where they die in gruesome and vicious ways... while singing their song at the exact same time. According to the official website, it's where the idol'll [[DeadlyEuphemism 'shine for the last time in her life'.]] Of course, the host, Doripaku does promise that if idols can complete their tasks, they could come back to life...* ''Love You All'' by Cloud Cult is about letting your family know you love them while you die.-->I love my mother-->I love my father-->When it's my time to go,-->I need you to know:-->Love you all...** It's heavily auto-tuned, to the point that it can be mistaken for SyntheticVoiceActor, but the tuning drops away, verse by verse, until it's the singer's original voice. [[{{Applicability}} Presumably, this represents life-support machines failing or being turned off one by one.]]* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the ''[[WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill King of the Hill]]'' episode ''"Tankin' it to the Streets"''. [[spoiler:As [[FatIdiot Bill]] floors a tank through a war games field in which soldiers are firing live artillery, he sings ''[[Music/LynyrdSkynyrd Free Bird]]'' in a broken voice, before seemingly being blown up by the artillery. After his friends break down thinking they've lost him, it turns out he was blown into the bushes]], alive(if a bit beaten up!)* Also subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Bart's Comet": With the citizens of Springfield cut off from any means of escape and the comet hurtling toward the city close enough to not only be seen with the naked eye, but heard with the naked ear, Ned Flanders accepts his fate and walks up to a nearby hill, staring at the comet and singing "Que Sera Sera." The other citizens, seeing him do this, gradually come join him to sing it together. Subverted in that [[spoiler:the comet burns up in the atmosphere until it's too small to harm anyone--though as Bart discovers, it's still very hot to the touch.]]----